Apple recipes for any who would like those mentioned in the cooking talkback on ABC radio this morning.

There’s also a recipe for apple fruit leather sheets, which was not mentioned but uses up a lot of apples and is not only delicious, but very practical.

Apple Chutney

Ingredients

1.5kg apples (peeled weight) cored and diced

450g onions, diced

2 teaspoons salt

3 teaspoons curry powder

750g sugar

375ml vinegar

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Method

Place all in a large saucepan or jam pan, bring to the boil (stirring), then simmer for one hour or until thickened, stirring often.

Por into warm, sterilized jars and seal immediately.  Store in a cool dry, dark place.

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Apple Mint Jelly

Ingredients

500g Granny Smith apples

375ml white or cider vinegar

500g sugar

Pinch salt, optional

5 to 6 tablespoons chopped mint

Method

Remove any stalks from the apples, then chop them (no need to peel or core).

Pour the vinegar over them, then bring to the boil and simmer until the apples are very soft.

Sieve the mixture, pressing as much of the pulp through as possible, then add the sugar and salt to the resulting puree.

Bring back to the boil, stirring, and cook over medium heat for 8 to 9 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped mint.

Allow to stand for 5 minutes before pouring into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately.

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Apple Jelly

Ingredients

2kg apples, chopped (no need to peel or core)

Juice 2 lemons

Water

Sugar

Method

Combine apples and lemon juice in a large saucepan or jam pan. 

Cover with water to a depth of 5cm, and bring to the boil.  Simmer until apples are soft.

Strain through a colander lined with muslin.

For each cup of the resulting liquid add 1 cup of sugar.

Bring to the boil, stirring, and boil over medium heat until setting point is reached.  Remove any scum for top of jelly – do this by leaving to stand for a couple of minutes, then lifting off with a slotted spoon.

Pour into heatproof sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Store in a cool, dry, dark place.

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Spiced Apple Paste (or Cheese)

The spices are optional in this recipe or use different ones according to taste. 

Ingredients

1kg apples (peeled and cored weight) – chopped

¾ cup water

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

Juice 2 lemons and rind of one

Sugar

Method

In a large pot place the apples, water, spices and lemon juice and rind.  Bring to the boil, stirring often, then reduce heat and cook until the apples are very soft.   Puree the mixture  (or sieve it, or pass though a food mill) and for each cup of the resulting pulp, add one cup of sugar.

Bring back to the boil, stirring constantly, then cook over medium-low heat until setting point is reached* (for paste) or (for cheese) until a wooden spoon drawn through the mixture leaves a definite trail on the base of the pot.

For paste – pour into small wide-mouthed sterilised containers and seal immediately. 

For cheese – pour into a foil or baking paper lined 18cm x 28cm tin and leave to set for 24 hours or more.  When cold cut into squares and store between layers of baking paper in an airtight container.

* To test for set, place 2 teaspoons of the hot mixture on a cold saucer and place in the fridge for a few minutes.  Run your finger through it and if the mixture is quite firm and basically holds its shape, then the paste is ready.

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Apple Leather (like roll-ups)

Stew apples until very soft, then sieve or puree until very smooth.  Very little, if any, sweetening should be used as the fruit’s natural sugars concentrate as the leather dries.

However, if you feel some sweetener is necessary, it is preferable to use honey as sugar has the potential to make the dried fruit leather brittle.  Approximately 2 teaspoons to 500ml of puree should be ample.

Spread the fruit puree on baking paper-lined trays and place in the oven, or alternatively, spread the puree on special fruit leather trays and transfer to the dehydrator.  Turn oven or dehydrator to 60° to 70°C.  If you are using the oven, open the door occasionally to allow any moisture to escape.  The leather will take about 3 hours to dry – it is ready when there are no sticky spots evident.  To test, tear a small piece of the leather – if no liquid is exuded, then dehydration is complete.

Remove from the trays and roll while still warm.  Store in an airtight jar (I keep this in the jar in the fridge).